


This is This

by mithrel



Category: Road to El Dorado (2000)
Genre: Angst, Blanket Permission, Denial, F/M, M/M, Podfic Welcome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-02
Updated: 2014-03-02
Packaged: 2018-01-14 06:03:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1255591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mithrel/pseuds/mithrel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chel is wonderful, she really is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This is This

He's kissing Chel when he hears a sound behind him and turns to see Miguel. He flushes, since he was the one who came up with the "Chel is off-limits" thing in the first place.

Miguel's face goes stony and he storms out of the camp, whistling to Altivo.

Tulio starts after him, but Chel grabs his shoulder. "He'll be alright."

"But--" Tulio starts.

She puts a finger on his lips. "Altivo's with him. He'll be fine."

And Tulio has to concede that that stupid horse isn't actually stupid at all, and has come in useful more than once. But he still spends most of the day sneaking glances in the direction Miguel had gone.

It's sunset before he returns and sits down wordlessly by the fire.

"Where have you been?" Tulio demands.

Miguel ignores him.

"Would you like some dinner?" Chel asks.

Miguel silently takes the plate she hands him and starts to eat.

***

Over the next several days, Miguel only responds to Chel with nods and the occasional grunt. It's unnatural having him so quiet. It makes Tulio want to scream in his face, shake him...something.

He ignores Tulio completely.

After nearly a week of this, he can't take it anymore.

"It doesn't _mean _anything!" he bursts out.__

__Miguel blinks at him. "What?"_ _

__Ha! He finally managed to get a response._ _

__"Me and Chel," Tulio says, and Miguel's lips thin._ _

__"It doesn't...that's not...she isn't..." he babbles, suddenly at a loss for words._ _

__"She isn't what?" Miguel snaps._ _

___She isn't home._ _ _

___She isn't safety._ _ _

__"She doesn't matter," he finally mumbles lamely, knowing it's unfair to her, that she _does_ matter, but she's not _Miguel.__ _

__But Miguel's face softens and he smiles a little and claps Tulio's shoulder._ _


End file.
